Foxcatcher

Parental Rating: R

Contains: Language    Violence    Drug Use    Adult Content    

Jill's Review

Opens November 26, 2014

Runs 134 minutes

Based on a true story, Foxcatcher tells the story of an eccentric millionaire, John Du Pont (an unrecognizable Steve Carell) who wants to start an Olympic Training facility on the grounds of his family's estate. He invites Olympic champions Mark (Channing Tatum) and David (Mark Ruffalo) Shultz, to help him start his facility and to train for the Seoul Olympics.  Mark jumps at the chance to focus on his wrestling and to get out of the shadow of his older brother David. David declines the offer at first as he has coaching commitments and his wife and children don't want to relocate.  Several other up and coming wrestlers join Mark at the compound. For reasons not really clear, Du Pont becomes very involved in his wrestlers' training, bragging to friends about his team and his wrestling knowledge and hoping to gain the approval of his steely mother (Vanessa Redgrave). Eventually, he lures David to the compound, as well with a lucrative financial package that he just can't turn down. This leads to tragedy for all involved.

I didn't know this story at all. It was fascinating. The wrestling is so realistic. Channing and Mark had to train for months to be able to have the look and patter of real wrestlers. There are a couple of scenes with no dialogue. All you hear are the grunts and slaps of wrestling. Steve Carell loses himself in the role of John Du Pont.  I would expect some recognition during awards season for this performance. The dates are slightly changed in the movie for some reason but that doesn't take away from what actually happened. It will make you want to go back and investigate the story further. Great performances and a riveting story! Go see it.

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